the grand master, in order to obtain his approval and
signature. In the state of feebleness to which he had for some months
past fallen, much time was frequently lost before he could be made to
understand the questions referred to him. Moreover, orders of D'Aubusson
could be appealed against, his views thwarted, and his authority
questioned; and it was therefore felt that, much as they all respected
the old grand master, it would be an advantage to the Order when the
supreme authority passed into the hands of D'Aubusson.

Four days after the return of the expedition Orsini died. A few hours
later the grand council was convened, and D'Aubusson unanimously
elected grand master of the Order. The ceremony of the funeral of his
predecessor was an imposing one. Every knight of the Order in Rhodes was
present, together with a number of the leading natives of the Island;
and although Gervaise had, since his arrival on the Island, seen many
stately ceremonies, this far surpassed anything he had previously
beheld.

Gervaise had, at one of his first interviews with D'Aubusson after his
arrival at the Island, been advised by him to acquire some knowledge of
Turkish.

"There are but few knights of the Order who speak the language," he
said. "As a rule, while young men are ready to devote any amount of time
to acquiring dexterity in all martial exercises, they will bestow no
labour in obtaining knowledge that may be fully as useful to them as
skill in arms. In our dealings with the Turks, one or other party has
to employ an interpreter, and it is often by no means certain that these
men convey the full meaning of the speeches they translate. Again, we
have large numbers of Turkish slaves, and it is highly to be desired
that the knights should be able to give their orders to these men in
their own language. Lastly, a knight who has been taken prisoner by the
Turks--and even the bravest might meet with such a misfortune--would
find it an alleviation of his lot, and might be able to plan and carry
out his escape, did he speak Turkish well. I should strongly counsel you
to acquire a knowledge of the tongue."

Gervaise had intended to follow the advice of the grand prior, but the
duties of his office as page, and the time required for his military
exercises and his studies with the chaplain, had rendered it well nigh
impossible, during the first three years, to turn his attention to
learning Turkish. As soon as his pageship was at an